“Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won't make us happier.”
― Randy Pausch
“I personally believe we developed language because of our deep inner need to complain.”
― Jane Wagner
Before we get into this post lets set the scene.
You're about 9 or 10 years old and it's about 7 or 8 o'clock in the evening. You're sitting in the living room or basement or your bedroom playing Super Mario on your Nintendo 64. You're getting really into it when your mother yells "DINNER!" from the kitchen. A bit irritated you yell back, "ONE MORE LEVEL!".
"DINNER. NOW."
"BUT MOOooooOOOOOoooOOM!!"
"NOW!"
You reluctantly put down the controller and join your family for dinner, which to your despair includes a hefty serving of broccoli. You spend most of the dinner pushing the broccoli aside and enjoying the rest of your meal, completely vegetable free. This is when your mother says the thing, the thing that we have all heard at some point in out life, that dreaded phrase, that to be honest, did not make much sense at the time; "Please eat your vegetables! There are starving children in Africa!"
Although this scene is a bit cliche, I feel we, as a generation, could learn from it. The fact of the matter is that there ARE starving children in Africa. There ARE people who have so much less than us. So then why do we all complain so much? Something I've noticed recently is that people seem to complain... simply for the sake of complaining.
You have an essay to write?
UUGHHHHHHHHHHHH
You have to go visit your Great Aunt Beth this weekend?
AARRGHHHHH
Dinner isn't quiet to your liking tonight?
I HAVE LOST THE WILL TO GO ON
When we step back and take a look at things, most of us really don't have it that bad.
For example, and I'm guilty of this too;
At my school one thing students LOVE to complain about is the quality of the food in the cafeteria. But why? You don't have to prepare the food (it magically appears on a counter for you to grab and put on a plate), It's not old or expired or rotten, you don't have to clean the dishes (they magically disappear through a door and come out clean). So then if things are so easy, why do so many people spend so much time complaining about this? What does this complaining accomplish? The answer of course; is nothing.
Another example is the complaints that occur when we are asked to do something that might be a little out of our way. Ironically, these are usually things we signed up for in the first place. If you auditioned for and made it in to a show or musical of some sort, why would you complain when you have to fulfill the expectations of being in this show? If you applied to College/ University and got in, why would you complain when you have to do the work required to achieve your major?
Complaining for the most point, unless you are starting a revolution of some sort, is a pretty pointless act. It accomplishes nothing and does not improve society in anyway (note that I'm talking about complaints without action).
So sometimes you get handed the short end of life, embrace it! Don't waste time whining about the paint that accidentally got pulled off the ceiling of your dorm room and the fine you'll have to pay for it (it's a long story), pay the fine and move on!
Pointless complaints are something all humans are guilty of, especially including myself. It's something I feel we could all work on. So next time you let out a loud UGGGHHHHHH after having a rough day in class/work, think about whether or not that UUUGHHHH will solve anything.
In short; think about those starving children in Africa.
-Ellen
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